Marry Me
by writergirrrl22
Summary: a short zoey/stark story. set in a world where vampyres don't exist, and they're all just normal humans not bc i hate vampyres, but bc i thought it would be a lot simpler . zoey and stark have never met, but stark wants to be with her.
1. If I Ever Get the Nerve to Say Hello

I sat down at the table in the far back corner of Starbucks that I always sat in, and waited. I come to this place every day because I know she'll be here. Every day, at the same time, since I've lived here, she's come.

After a few minutes of waiting, I saw her car pull into the parking lot through the glass wall. She opened the door and got out, looking every bit as sad as she had since the day it happened.

She walked through the door, up to the counter and ordered. She stood anxiously as she waited for her usual, a double chocolate chip frappiccino. Just like every day, she didn't notice me watching her as she walked to the table on the opposite side of the building.

She didn't notice me at all, she had more important things on her mind. It didn't matter what everyone else said about her, I didn't believe them. So maybe she's had some trouble with guys in the past, but what teenage girl hasn't? "Love is complicated," I had once heard her telling her best friend, "It sneaks up on you when you least expect it, even if you don't want it to. Love doesn't care who you're with. All that it's taught me is that I just haven't found the right guy."

Boy, was that true. I'd only lived here a couple of weeks, and I already knew about her reputation. Not only was she caught cheating on her boyfriend with her ex, but she was also caught by that same boyfriend having an affair with one of their teachers. The girl really did have bad luck when it came to love, because not two hours after her boyfriend caught her and her teacher, her teacher was found dead. Actually, brutally murdered is a better description of it. He was found with is head cut off and put on a stake outside of the school, with a note taped to him. It was a religious intolerance thing; he wasn't a part of The People of Faith, and they didn't like that.

A few days after that, she and her boyfriend broke up, and she unofficially got back together with her ex, her captain of the football team ex, college bound and all around a good guy. I would know, I met him before…before it happened.

And the it that I refer to is his death. The thing that sent her over the edge, she saw him die. And I saw her see him die.

I know it must sound like I'm a stalker, but I'm really not. I'm just a guy in…in love. Yes, I admit it, I'm in love with her, and I've never even spoken to her. I don't care how many guys she's been with, I don't care that everyone talks about her, I don't care that her family basically threw her out; I, James Stark, am in love with Zoey Redbird.

**Review please (:**


	2. Today and Everyday

I know, I know, it's pretty pathetic for me to fall in love with someone I don't even know. Who even does that? Stupid people. People who want to be hurt in the long run. Well, like I said before, I don't care. I just wish I had the nerve to say hello to her.

Ha, that's rich. If I ever really did say hey to her, what would I say to her next? Marry me. I didn't even have to think twice about it. I knew that if I ever got the courage to talk to her, I'd ask her to marry me right then and there. I could actually picture it, marrying her. Everyday I'd tell her how beautiful she is and how much I loved her. Normal guys cringe at the thought of marriage, but I guess I'm not normal. Thinking about spending the rest of my life with Zoey Redbird is something magical. I've never felt anything thing like this before. I've had my fair share of girlfriends, but nothing compares to Zoey. I wanted to spend forever with her, and that still wouldn't be long enough with her. I wanted the two of us to be together, but that still wouldn't be close enough to her.

I know, I'm a mess. But if you knew this girl…there's just something about her. How her long black hair flows to the middle of her back; how her brown eyes sparkle in the light and when she's excited, and even more when she's sad; how her Cherokee heritage is evident in her every pore; how it's clear her friends are important to her; how she loves her grandmother more than anyone on the planet; and how I can just sense her kindness, how she's just good down to her core.

Yes, I want to marry her. I would in a heartbeat, but that brings me back to the fact that I've never spoken to her.

I always tell myself that I would get up and go talk to her if it weren't for what had so recently happened, but I know that's bullshit. I mean, I know she's hurt, badly, but even if she weren't I still wouldn't get up and talk to her. I've had a million chances in the past, and I'm sure I've got a million more, but I will probably never talk to this incredible girl who makes my heart pound and my ears ring.

I wanted so badly, more than anything, to talk to her, but I knew I never would. I was just that kind of guy, I guess, the one who was too afraid to talk to the girl of his dreams, and would just sit there and watch her slip away from him. I am pathetic.

I was about to get up to throw my empty coffee cup away and sulk out of the café when I heard someone who was standing above me say, "Hey Stark."


	3. Now That the Wait Is Over

I froze. Completely just sat there, staring up at her like an idiot. I couldn't make words to come out. I don't even think I was breathing, although I can't really remember (which is probably due to lack of oxygen, so again I say I wasn't breathing).

After a few awkward seconds of just staring at her, with a stupefied expression on my face, I finally managed to stutter out, "Z-zoey, hi. Do you wanna, um, sit?"

"Sure," she said, and she sat down across from me.

After another few moments of awkward silence, she spoke again.

"It's-it's funny, I didn't even think you knew my name."

"That is funny," I said back, "I didn't think you even knew I existed."

I regretted saying that the moment it reached my lips, but I couldn't take it back. She looked at me and kinda half smiled, then shook her head as if to clear her mind.

"So, I have a confession," she said. "I've kinda been watching you."

When I looked at her in shock, she said, "I noticed you come here every day at the same time, so I started doing it too, so I could watch you. I'm a creep, I know."

"No, no! You're not a creep!" I said, quickly, "I only come here every day at the same time because I noticed you did it! You're not the creep, I am. I've been trying to get up the nerve to talk to you for weeks, but then all of that, um, stuff happened, and…"

I trailed off, not sure where I was going with that.

"So, you know all of that stuff about me," she asked, looking down at her hands, which were clasped together on the table, "And you still wanted to talk to me?"

I didn't see how hard that was to believe, but I nodded anyway.

"Wow," she said, smiling at me. Her smile was wide and bright, and reached all the way to her eyes; it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and the fact that I'd made her smile like that made it even better. I wanted to be able to make her smile all the time, for the rest of my life, but if I ever told her that, she'd think I was a total creep. Well, more of a total creep than she already thinks I am.

"Listen," I finally said, "I know you're hurt from everything that's happened lately, but I'd really like a chance to take you out."

I waited while she thought about it.

Then she looked at me and smiled that smile again.

"Lucky for you, I'm a lot stronger than I seem. I'd love to go out with you."

"Great," I said, smiling at her. "Oh, and one more thing,"

"Yeah?" she asked.

I leaned over the little table and kissed her softly.

I pulled back slightly to see her expression. Her eyes were closed and she had a hint of a smile on her face, so I whispered, "Marry me."

I thought for sure she would flip out right then and there, but she surprised me by saying, "It took you long enough."

**A/N: the end! sorry it took me so dang long to get this up, i just wanted to torture all of you :) haha nooo, it was a combination of final exams and writer's block, but whatevsssssss, it's up now, and i really hope you enjoyed this little story :)**


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